Vikings Rumors: NFC East team speculated as Kirk Cousins destination in 2024

One of the latest Minnesota Vikings rumors involves some speculation about Kirk Cousins potentially returning to his first NFL team, the Washington Commanders.

Until he signs a new contract, there is likely going to be an overflow of Minnesota Vikings rumors involving veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins for the next few weeks.

Cousins is a free agent this year, and while the 35-year-old signal-caller has shared his interest in remaining with the Vikings, both sides have their own requirements that need to be met in order for a deal to get done.

So, with Cousins staying in Minnesota for another season not guaranteed, there has been plenty of speculation about where he could land if he leaves the Twin Cities.

Vikings Rumors: Could Kirk Cousins go back to the Washington Commanders?

Before joining the Vikings in 2018, Cousins spent the first six seasons of his NFL career as a member of the Washington Commanders.

Coincidentally, the Commanders are expected to be in the market for a new starting quarterback this year, and with many of the people from his tenure with the franchise no longer with the organization, including the owner, SKOR North's Judd Zulgad recently suggested a reunion with Washington as a possibility for Cousins this offseason.

"Washington's got, I believe, the second pick [in the 2024 NFL Draft], right? What if they kept that pick, signed Cousins in March, and then drafted Marvin Harrison Jr. as the compliment in the offense to Kirk Cousins?

They would pay Cousins what he wants because they can and, again, they are looking to make a splash, actively.

If you get Kirk Cousins, you get in your mind a ready-made quarterback prepared to run a system [and] all of the concerns about youth are gone."

Zulgad emphasized that he believes the Commanders' new owner, Josh Harris, wants to win now, so waiting a few more seasons for a young quarterback to develop might not be the path he would like his team to take.

Currently, Washington is projected to have more than $73 million in cap space this offseason, according to Over The Cap.

So Zulgad is right when he says that the Commanders can afford to give Cousins what he's looking for in his next contract.

But would Harris want to pursue a quarterback like Cousins, who will be 36 in August and is coming off of a torn Achilles, or would he want his team to go with another free-agent passer like Baker Mayfield, who is coming off an impressive season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is seven years younger than Cousins?

With a new coaching staff coming in, new management in place, and Daniel Snyder no longer the owner of the franchise, it's not insane to think that Cousins could have some interest in a reunion with Washington.

But the feelings also have to be mutual from the Commanders, and that might not end up being the case once the 2024 free agency period begins in March.

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